Manikarnika's Makeover: Does Our God Deserve To Exist In Dirt And Filth?

On the second anniversary of the Ram Mandir consecration in Ayodhya, a powerful debate continues to simmer across India: Should our ancient pilgrimage sites be modernised? The question has resurfaced with the proposed redevelopment of Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi, the sacred cremation ground where Hindus have sought moksha for millennia.

In a candid conversation on the Swarajya podcast What This Means, columnist Rahul Kaushik argues that opposition to these projects stems not from genuine heritage concerns, but from a deeper discomfort with Hindu society's unprecedented unity and the democratisation of sacred spaces.

The Transformation: From Neglect to Devotion

Kaushik recalls his first visit to Ayodhya in 2006 and Kashi around 2015 with vivid clarity. The picture he paints is far from romantic: dirty atmosphere, clumsy lanes, small alleys filled with filth and stench. Rotten fruits and leaves littered the streets while touts aggressively hawked their wares to pilgrims.

"It seemed like the administration was telling you that you should not come here," he observes. "There was such a lack of infrastructure that it felt designed to harass you so much that you'd go back and tell everyone not to bother visiting."

The contrast with today is stark. During the recent Mahakumbh, Ayodhya saw a daily influx of approximately five lakh visitors. The road leading to Ram Janmabhoomi, once barely ten feet wide, is now a hundred-foot thoroughfare. The transformation has been nothing short of revolutionary.

Manikarnika Ghat: The Sacred Cremation Ground

Kashi holds a unique place in Hindu cosmology. It is considered the first city of the world, resting on Shiva's trident and existing outside the cycle of creation and destruction. The city is home to Moksha Bhavans, where people in their final days come specifically to die, believing that death in Kashi guarantees salvation.

Manikarnika and Harishchandra Ghats are the two cremation grounds that stand testament to this belief. The latter draws its name from the legendary King Harishchandra, who, after losing everything to keep his word to sage Vishwamitra, worked there as a dom, the community that tends to cremation pyres. The story goes that one day, his own wife brought their son's body there for final rites.

For over 500 years, since Rani Ahilyabai Holkar's time, Manikarnika has witnessed 24-hour cremations every single day.

"Tell me one place where there is continuous cremation for 500 years," Kaushik asks. "Will the structure not become dilapidated? Will it not be damaged?"

Journalist Vyomesh Shukla, reporting after Pandit Channulal Mishra's death, noted that Manikarnika appeared as if something could fall at any moment. The stairs were broken, and it seemed construction hadn't been done for ages.

The Revamp Project: What's Actually Being Built

The proposed redevelopment envisions two levels at Manikarnika Ghat with 40 cremation platforms, seating facilities for families during the one-and-a-half-hour cremation process, and basic amenities including toilet blocks.

Critics have objected to a proposed "VIP seating roof." Kaushik, not sure of the VIP seating facility plan, says that usually such facilities are meant for grieving families who need a place to wait during the lengthy cremation process, not for tourists seeking entertainment.

"But if viewing was such an issue, there are so many people who just come to see Manikarnika. If that hadn't been objected to till now, why object to this?" he asks. "If they had set up a cultural centre or some commercial activity, I would have understood the opposition. But this is a cremation ground that has existed for 500 years and naturally needs repair."

People compare paintings from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to romanticise Manikarnika Ghat on social media. "If you want to genuinely say Manikarnika revamp will destroy its beauty, then show today's photos. Why use hand-made images from that era?"

The Dom Community: Those Who Know Best

Perhaps the most telling aspect of this debate is the position of the Dom community and their leader, the Dom Raja, who have been the custodians of Manikarnika for generations.

"The Dom community and Dom Raja have given public statements that they were demanding this kind of work for years," Kaushik notes. "They requested every government that Manikarnika needs to be revamped, that construction and repairs are needed. But no government was listening to them."

The local community, too, supports the development. "Locals don't have a problem with this. These are outsiders who have a problem," Kaushik observes. "Who wouldn't want their city to develop? When tourists come, when pilgrims come, when numbers increase, the biggest benefit goes to the local community."

The Politics of Opposition: Who Benefits From Outrage?

Kaushik identifies several distinct groups driving the opposition narrative. The first are those who recognise that Hindu unity poses an existential threat to their political future. He recalls a tweet noting that on 22 January 2024, around 80 per cent of Indians were singing the same tune, a unity unprecedented in recent memory.

"The problem with people who don't want to see Hindu society standing as one community is that if such things continue, if people keep coming and going and temples become centres like the Tirupati temple was in previous centuries, then their overall business will end forever."

He draws a parallel to a 2015–16 interview where Nitin Gadkari told Barkha Dutt that party workers were struggling to adjust after coming to power. "So many years we had been used to outraging, to protesting. Now they don't understand what to do. Everyone is in government. They miss the days when we used to go and protest, get lathicharge, and come back."

The second group comprises self-styled traditionalists who believe they alone possess the spiritual authority to access sacred spaces. "There are people who think they are spiritually superior, and hence, only they should be allowed to go to certain places," Kaushik explains. "They genuinely think that certain people are less Hindu."

The Aesthetics Argument: A Hollow Critique

Some critics invoke "aesthetics" to oppose modern construction. Kaushik finds this laughable.

"Is there any aesthetics in cremation? In cremation, you need space for people to sit, you need cremation platforms, and you need space for the process. What aesthetics do you want?"

He points to Kedarnath as a counter-example. When critics complained about its redevelopment, images circulated comparing proposed designs from 2016–17 with current construction. They were almost identical. "The government has kept the design consistent."

"People want to create domes and minarets there," he notes sarcastically. "How will snow fall on that? A person who has not studied Indian architecture, who has no idea of Indian aesthetics, who has no idea of crowd management, everyone starts commenting that this dome should be here, this should be made there."

The same pattern emerged during Ram Mandir construction. When the white marble garbha griha was unveiled, self-proclaimed traditionalists called it Islamic because it lacked human images. "But when the black Shyamvarna Shila vigraha was installed against the white marble, people finally understood. If you put colourful statues against a colourful background, viewers won't be able to see the deity properly."

The Democratisation of Hindu Pilgrimage

At the heart of this transformation is something profound: the democratisation of access to sacred spaces. The changes are visible. Temple visits are no longer just a family affair. Today, groups of friends travel together to Kashi, Prayagraj, and Ayodhya, not just for tourism but seeking genuine spiritual experiences.

"Earlier all these trips were mostly family trips," notes the author and the host. "Now these plans are being made because youngsters are really finding peace and wanting to visit these places solo or with friends and family."

Kaushik's 25-year-old cousin recently remarked that today's youth visit far more temples and religious places than previous generations. This shift has occurred precisely because these destinations now attract young people through improved infrastructure and facilities.

"This democratisation of Hindu faith, where even the smallest person's voice is relevant, is creating problems for certain people," Kaushik argues. "There were certain people who used to set the agenda for our faith for a very long time. They thought that whatever they said, everyone should follow. That is changing."

The 'Temple as Tourist Destination' Critique

Some intellectuals complain that temples are being converted into tourist destinations. Kaushik flips this critique on its head.

"When you go to Goa and visit St. Francis Church, 90 per cent of people visit it as a tourist destination. And when you visit as a tourist, you learn about the Christian faith there." The same principle applies to Hindu temples. An initial tourist attraction can become the gateway to deeper spiritual engagement.

"There is a very big crowd, even today, that treats religion as taboo. They need certain other pull factors to go towards a religious place. So if you are providing that factor, yes it needs balance, but you need a way to take the young generation to temples."

He draws comparisons with other faiths. "Why does every visitor to Amritsar go to the Golden Temple? Because it's beautiful, peaceful, and clean. Compare that to Kalighat in Bengal. When you visit, you may feel God's energy inside, but the environment around it is so unclean that you feel neither you nor the Goddess deserves this."

A Global Perspective: Presenting Hindu Ethos

Places like Rishikesh, Pushkar, and Kashi attract visitors from around the world, not just for tourism but for spirituality. As India positions itself globally, the question becomes: How should it present its civilisational heritage?

"If you want to tell the world that Hinduism is the oldest and most cultured religion, that our religion has depth and our culture has ethics, then you have to make your ethos presentable," Kaushik argues.

"Why do we go to the Vatican? Because it is aesthetically beautiful. You see cleanliness, you see everything beautiful, big wide roads, beautiful churches. If you want the world to respect your faith, your temples cannot be in filth, in stench, with rotten fruits on the path you end up stepping on."

Uncovering Hidden Heritage: The Kashi Vishwanath Example

One of the most revealing aspects of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project was what it uncovered. When land was acquired and encroachments removed, approximately 40 forgotten temples came to light. Some had beautiful paintings dating to the Maurya era, hidden inside private homes for centuries.

"People had in a way stolen them and kept them in their homes," Kaushik notes. "Some say they hid them during Islamic invasions, but if they hid them during invasions, they should have disclosed them afterwards."

The challenge remains: distinguishing genuine heritage from accumulated encroachment. People often establish small temples near major shrines and claim ancient provenance. "If you go to Noida today, you'll find temples claiming to be ancient. Noida itself is only 20 years old. Where did the ancient temple come from?"

The Civilisational Stakes

Kaushik frames the temple redevelopment movement as nothing less than a civilisational renaissance.

"For the last 500 years, the places of our faith have faced only neglect. We have worshipped our deities in the worst conditions, in filth, in small alleys, at the feet of encroachers. We have not been treated fairly."

"My generation has seen temples in filth. If temple corridors are now being built properly, I think we should welcome it. After many years, someone is actually trying to do something good for the overall Hindu faith."

The historical significance runs deeper. "400–500 years ago, temples were the centre of everything. Education, commerce, social activities, everything happened around temples. If you look at traditional old areas even today, the initials of many activities like marriage still happen at temples, whether it's the JK temple in Kanpur, Mohan Nagar temple in Ghaziabad, or Modi temple in Modinagar."

"The redevelopment of temples is not just the revamp of a physical place. It is also the revamp of the society and sanskriti."

"The overall rise of Hindu faith is centred around the temple. For temples to lead this revival, they need to be sanctified, converted into large complexes with good infrastructure and basic amenities, where people can experience peace, where they don't feel mentally disturbed or stuck."

His appeal to fellow Hindus is direct: "Stop this scepticism. Nothing bad has happened to your temples. And temples are being loved by the young generation. You should encourage your young generation to go to temples. Otherwise, they will go to churches."

The final question he poses cuts to the heart of the matter: "I don't understand whether your shraddha is in the keechad or in God. If your faith is in the mud, you'll keep remembering the mud. If your faith is in God, you'll remember God."

"Does our God deserve to exist in that dirt and filth? The one who created the universe, the most powerful, who is all-powerful, does He deserve a place like what Kashi Vishwanath was 10 years ago?"

The answer, for millions of pilgrims now flocking to India's revitalised sacred spaces, seems increasingly clear.

(This article is based on a conversation with Rahul Kaushik on the Swarajya podcast 'What This Means'. The episode will be out soon on Spotify and Apple Podcast.)